There was a look of disappointment in the eyes of the radar cop as we drove by, a wee bit below the speed limit. Seeing us coming, with the ticket-me-red paint job and the white racing stripes on the front fender he was certain we were going to help him meet the day’s quota.

To be honest, it isn’t easy to hold the 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport under the speed limit. Heck, it’d be hard to slow down if we were living along the German Autobahn.

Think of the GS as a sort of hybrid. It starts out with the same steel chassis as the “base” Corvette, but the crossed-flag emblem is your first hint that there are some other significant changes in store. Indeed, if you pulled out your tape measure you’d notice the dimensions are decidedly different. The Grand Sport shares most of those with the high-performance Z06 model, including the gill slits and taller rear spoiler. (See First Look: 2010 Corvette Grand Sport)

There are plenty of poseurs on the market, models that attach the word, “sport” to their name but offer little more than cosmetic enhancements. Not so the Corvette Grand Sport. And the changes do more than just enhance aerodynamics.

A Real Performer: TheDetroitBureau.com!

There are the oversized wheels, shared with the Z06, as well as the more expensive model’s cross-drilled brakes, measuring 14-inches up front and 13.4-inchers in the rear. They deliver real stopping power.